High School Scrapbook: Amy Rudolph

Finding your best distance is a challenge that begins in high school and often continues well beyond college, if the experience of Amy Rudolph is any guide. "It’s usually the distance you’re most comfortable and confident in," she says. "For me, that’s 3,000 meters, but unfortunately that’s not an Olympic event."

So Rudolph races above and below her favored 3K, something she’s done since she began running. "I was lucky to have a high school coach who made running fun, and encouraged us to try different events to keep things interesting." The result for Rudolph has been success at a number of distances.

You may even find a new distance brings better results, as Rudolph did in cross country last year. "I’d been running the 4K, but some people encouraged me to run 8K instead," she says. The result was a spot on the American team which won a bronze medal at the World Cross Country Championships in Ireland.